Hydroplane.



J. H. PIERCE.

HYDBOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1910.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVE/VTUR JnhrLHP'ier'nE.

\HI M A TTOR/VEY.

J. H. PIERCE.

HYDROPLANE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV.17, 1910. 1,014,5 14c, Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE/VTUR JmhnI-LPiErcE I O A TTOR/VEV;

WITNESSES" J. H. PIERCE.

HYDROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17,1910. 1,014,5 14. Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

o 37 O o a 7 //VI/ E/VTOR JEI-ILTLHPLEI I: a.

A TTOH/VEV.

J. H. PIERCE.

HYDROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1910.

1,014,514, Patented Jan.9, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES.- I/Vl/E/V 70R JDh'r-LHPLercE UNITED STATES PATENT orricn.

JOHN H. PIERCE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. I

nYnnorLAnn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 17, 1910.Serial No. 592,898.

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PIERCE, a citizen ofthe United States,residing .at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Hydroplanes, ofwhich the'following is a specifiproduce. an improved type of supportingwings,

whichcan be adjusted so as to better assist in balancing the machine.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a view of the machine as it would appear when flying in thepreferred manner. Fig. 2' is a top plan view of the machine. Flg. 3 is aview showing the manner of constructing the body portion. Fig. 4 is anenlarged view of the rods used in constructing the .body and shows theclamps for holding the rods together. Fig. 5 is a top view .of Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of the machine. Fig. 7 is an enlared view showing the method of mounting t e wings. Fig. 7 5 is anenlarged view of the collars for attaching the ribs to the wings. Fig. 8is a face view of the 'bracket used for attaching the wings'somev of thecollars being removed. Fig. 9 is a 'view 'of the means for operating theair propellers. Fig. 10 is a side new of the manner of constructing thebody frame. Fig. 11, is a viewshowing the manner of mounting the leverfor controlling the water prop'eller.- 'Fig. 12 is an enlarged view-ofthe couplings for securing the guy ropes.

Fig. 13 is 'a view showing the'water tight compartment within the bodyand the comartments containin :the gas bags.

de 'celcomprises a body portion 1; which is Fig. 14: 1s a plan viewof tmeans for operating the guiding substantially boat shaped, theconstruction of which comprises three longitudinal rods 2,3 and 4 whichare arranged so that the rod 4 forms the center of the boat and the rods2 and 3 form the side rods. The rods are connected by means of a numberof ribs 5 and 6 and cross bars 7. The ribs and bars are connected withthe. rods by means of the couplings 8. The couplings are formed fromsheet metal'and are provided with semi-cire cular portions 9 and 10 andwith a pair of I arcuate portions 11. The flat portlons 12 to each sideof the semi-circular portions are each provided' with a series of oenings which are locatedadjacent the r0 s when the plates are placedinposition. Curved plates 13 partly surround the rods and are secured tothe portions 12 bymeans of bolts which pass through the openings formedin the portions 12 thus securely holding the frame together.Substantially U-shaped clips 14 are pivotally mounted upon each of theportions 12 and have attached thereto bolts 15. A similar U-shaped clip16 is mounted upon each bolt and held in place by means of the nut 17.The clips 16 are joined by diagonal guy rods 18 which are I tightened byturning the nuts 17. The frame thusconstructed is pointed toward eachend and is covered with suitable walls 19 to make a water tight bodyportion which will enable the machine to float upon .the water and notsink. A casing 20 is mounted upon the body portion and is adapted tocontain gas bags which help hold the maohinein the air although themachine does not depend upon these gas bags for its sustaining power andcould be operated wit-h I out them.

An engine 21 of any desired make is mounted near the forward portion ofthe body and is fed from supply tanks 22 carried by thebody; The engineis-positioned withits rear end at a lower angle than the forward end andhas a power shaft 23 which issupported by a bearing 24 and which-projects through the body portion. A propeller shaft v25 is connectedto the power shaft by means. of the universal joint 26 and has apropeller 27 fixed on its end. The

propeller shaft 25 is supported by means of a toggle frame whichcomprises a pair of npperlinks 28, which are pivotally mounted "upon thebody and have their ends connected by a bolt 29 upon which there ismounted the lower links 30.. ends of the links 30 are attached to asleeve 31 in which the propeller shaft is rotatably mounted. A rod 32 ismounted upon the bolt 29 and is brought toward the forward end of thecar where. it is pivotally mounted upon an operating lever 33 which ispivotally mounted upon the side ofthe body at the point 34, and has itsupper end 35 bent inwardly over the body portion to form a hand grip.

A rod 36 extends to each side of the forward portion .of the body andhas journaled at its outer ends axles 37 upon which there are mountedaerial propellers 38, the hubs of which are provided with groove pulleys3 A driving belt'40is passed around a groove pulley 41 mounted 'upon thepower shaft 23 and carried over idler pulleys 42, and outwardly andaround the pulleys 39 to revolve the aerial blades.

A pair of wings 43 is mounted upon th body portion being connected tothe rods 2 and 3 and the ribs 5 and 6 by means of brackets 44:. Eachbracket is preferably octagonal and has its lower portion 45 secured tothe rib by means of the collar 46. The upper portion 47 is bent atanupward angle to the lower portion 45, and is secured to the side rods bymeans of the collars 48 so that the bracket is securely held in place,the upper portion extending above the side rods.

The bracket is provided with a hinge ear 49 centrally located upon theupper portion and a longer hinge car 50 centrally located upon the lowerportion, the two ears being provided with openings which are inalinement. A bolt 51 is passed through the alined openings of the twocars and has rotatably mounted upon its intermediate portion a number ofopen rings 52, which are provided with pivot cars 53. A hinge plate 54is bent intermediate its length and pivotally mounted between the hingeears 53 and has its outer arms spaced apart to accommodate the end ofthe wing ribs'55.

The wing ribs 55 are upwardly and outwardly curved to form a pair of w'which are practically the shape of birds wings extended and have securedto their under surfaces a connecting web 56 which is formed of silk orother suitable material. The forward ones of the ribs 55 are braced byguy ropes 57 which have their ends secured to a vertical pole 58 whichis suitably braced by a rod 59 which is secured to the front end of thebody. The wings in the normal position are in the positions shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 6, the forward edge being just to the rear of the aerialpropellers 38. These wings when in a normal osition form sort of acornucopia sothat e air caused by the propellers enters the larger'endand passes out through the smaller rear end, thus causing the wings tohave a greater sustaining power.

The wings normally have a downward curve 65 but are controlled by meansof braces 60 to vertical.

which they are secured to the points 61 and the braces are connected toa lever 62 which is pivotally mounted and provided with a fork end 63which is positioned above the operators seat 64, that the wings may beraised and lowered by simply swaying the body to. one side or the other.This construction wouldbe very convenient when making the turns. v

Rudders 65 are secured to the forward and rear ends of the machine bymeans of universal joints 66. Each rudder comprises a pair of planes 67and 68, which are placed at. right-angles to each other, the planes 67being horizontal and the planes 68 being An operating rope 69 is securedto the corners of each of the planes 67 and is brought within the carand mounted upon a windm drmn 70 which is provided with an operatingwheel 71. One rope 69 on each forward and rear rudder is wound upon thedrum in an opposite direction to the second rope 69 so that when thewheel 71 is rotated one of the ropes attached to each of the planes 67will be tightened and the other rope loosened. By this construction theplanes move together and the machine is thus guided to either the rightor left according to the direction in which the wheel 71 is turned. Theropes 72 which are attached to the planes 68 are mounted upon thewindingdrum 73 in a similar manner to the ropes 69, so that the rudderswill be adjusted vertically the opposite directions to each other andthe machine will thus be caused to rise up or go down according to thedirection the wheel 74 is turned.

The body portion is provided with a depending frame work 75 near eachend upon vate the machine, and propel it forward.

The lever 33 is pushed forward which moves the shaft'32 toward therearand brings the propeller shaft '25 downwardly, so that the.propeller blade 27 enters the water and the machine is thus ropelled notonly by the aerial propeller, ut also by the water propeller- 27. Ifdesired the machine can be lowered to the surface of the water, and theaerial propellers disconnected from the motor. The lever 33 is thenrocked reawardly which moves the rod shaft 32 forwardly, and

socks the toggle bracket to raise the water propeller, so that the samewill be brought closer to thebod of 'the machine and will 7 not be sunktoo eep into the water. If it is desired to go higher in the air, thewater .propeller is raised by the means alread dething should happentostop the motor the machine would gradually float to the earth as a birddoes when pre aring to ali ht. If it is desired to descen more rapi y,the

braces 60 can be moved to raise the outerends of the wings to permit amore rapid descent. When making turns in the air the lever 63 isturnedin the proper direction to raise one wing and lower the other to keepthe machine properly balanced.

When it is desired to run -this machine on the land, the guy ropes57 aredetached from the pole 58 and the wings are folded back' upon the bodyof the machine and securely 1 fastened into place. The water propelleris raised and the lever securely locked so that there is nodanger of thepropeller blade 27 dragging upon he groun and the motor started torotate the aerial propellers.

These propellers move the machine forward andthe machine is guided byturning the rudders in the proper direction.

' WhatIclaimis:'-

-1 Ina fl g machine, a aerial prope ers, a water. propeller, a togglebody portion,

bracketmounted uponsaidbody portion, a

said toggle bracket comprising a pair of.upvper side bars, a boltconnecting the lower end of said bars, a pair of lower side bars mountedupon said bolt, a sleeve slidablg mounted upon said water propeller shaand ivotally mounted between said lower side ars, a rod mounted uponsaid bolt, an

operating lever ivotally. connected with Asa-id rod, and b y portion andadapted to move said 'rodto vertically adjust said water propeller, andoperating means for said propellers.

2. -In a flyin "machine a body portion, a

motor carried y said'body portion, a propeller shaft connected with theshaft of said motor, I propeller shaft, ato gle-bracket mountedconnected to the pivot bar of said to lebracket, and means for movingsaid ro to open and close said toggle-bracket to raise and lower saidpropeller shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix in presence of two, witnesses.

JOHN H; PIERCE;

Witnesses: v

H. C.-Som:onpnn, j

E. G. GRAY. I I

a sleeve slidably mounted upon said I 55. atone'end to said b0 yportion-and at the other end connected'w -th said sleeve, a rod mysignature 1

